Dear friends,

To see and feel the suffering that others endure is a common human characteristic, or so I thought. News reports of the U.S. government ending funding for disabled children and other heartbreaking stories leaves me wondering if it is as common as I thought. We receive daily reports of ending or greatly reducing U.S. government spending that cares for those who are in need of it while the wealthy enjoy a taxing system the rest do not have. As we respond to this injustice I offer you a sacred chant to listen to and to learn. It is the name of an enlightened being who knows how to listen to the suffering that is in oneself and in the rest of the world.

Every one of the Buddha’s teachings is believed to reside within this one powerful mantra. It is repeated over and over again to invoke loving kindness and the unconditional qualities of compassion. Whether said aloud or silently, to oneself or with others, this mantra is used to connect with one’s innately loving and compassionate self.

View The Great Compassion Chant in the video below, beautifully sung by the monks and nuns of Plum Village, founded by Thich Nhat Hanh. Their voices and faces express much that supports our learning and using this sacred practice.

With loving kindness,
Joseph Kilikevice